cover image The Trouble at Aquitaine

The Trouble at Aquitaine

Nancy Livingston. St. Martin's Press, $12.95 (187pp) ISBN 978-0-312-81975-0

Castle Aquitaine on the Yorkshire moors is now a posh health spa, its reputation impeccableuntil a body is found in the swimming pool. Suspects include the owner, Colonel Willoughby; his brother, a Harley Street doctor; and his exotic, sybarite wife, as well as the loyal, diligent staff. Then there are the guests: a suburban general practitioner trying to rid himself of both an ulcer and an acerbic wife; the impecunious widow of a minor official of the Raj; an Irish woman who carries a gun and unreservedly loathes the English. A second murder, a switch of homicide detectives and the arrival of a persistent private investigator keep the action flying. Using suspects and red herrings galore, as well as considerable wit and affection for her characters, Livingston has written a vibrant and absorbing first mystery. February 7